Mad
by sistersgrimmlover
Summary: The Cat mediates. The Ace Card starts the game. The Divine One sets up the game. The Diamond Queen played the game. The Faithful One lost the game. The Eternal One had a draw. The Joker won. Strategy wins you nothing. Being mad enough to try to win does.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Alice in Wonderland**

Mad

Chapter 1:

"_Curiouser and curiouser!"-_

_Alice_

It is said that all things truly wicked start form innocence.

That couldn't be more true with anything or anyone but one Alice Liddell.

Innocence is a curious thing and Alice Liddell, even more so.

From a young age, she had always been considered strange. Her head was always up in the clouds, ignorant of the reality around her and to the adults of her reality, they thought of her as a simple child. Her imagination was wild and they let it run free, wherever it took her…for now.

She had been seven years old when she spoke of White Rabbits with pocket watches and crazed Hatters who only enjoyed tea and spoke nonsense riddles that were impossible to solve. They laughed at her, joyful that she had such a wild imagination, knowing that one day it would have to stop.

And that one day never came.

She grew older and she never stopped speaking of the Hatter who enjoyed tea and told her riddles and spoke to her as if she were his equal if a little strangely. And thus, their amusement in her imagination began to cease, replaced by skeptic stares and growing suspicion. And it continued to grow and turn into doubt.

Doubt in whether she understood what was and what wasn't or whether she was simply eccentric.

And they wondered what had changed the innocent girl that was into something so _odd_ as the woman that is.

And if they truly wanted to know, they would look into her frigid blue eyes and see the answer, locked away behind the pools of frozen blue and know…

They would know that _love _changed her.

0o0

"Alice? Alice…Alice, dear, are you in there?"

Guinevere Liddell approached the oak door, with utter caution, terrified of what could possibly be behind it. She knew not to expect anything as her daughter constantly did the complete opposite, as if the younger woman simply wanted to spite her.

Outside of their modest home, she was the epitome of the perfect door excusing her slight bouts of…eccentricity. She would smile, though detachedly. She was curtsy though it was a cross between and bow and a curtsy. She would make conversation but it would be about the strangest riddles that she never knew the answer to.

That was easily forgiven by most.

However, it was a different story within their house.

It was then the madness took a stand and seemed to spread throughout her body, turning her into someone or truly, some_thing _different.

Guinevere opened the door, slowly and she looked around the brightly lit room. The white walls were bathed in the light that came through the sheer curtains. Blue peeked through. Guinevere looked towards the bed first but the white cotton sheets were perfectly made, just as she had done it that morning. Guinevere looked towards the closet, not putting it past her daughter to be hidden there.

And then, she saw.

Alice sat at the vanity, staring into the mirror as she brushed her long flaxen hair smooth and she didn't look up from her reflection. Icy blue eyes were reflected back at her, seemingly empty and emotionless and Guinevere resisted the urge to shiver, panic running through her.

"Is Ronald here?" Alice muttered under her breath and Guinevere blinked, attempting to decipher the garbled words that Alice had spoken.

"I…"

"He _should _be here. He's late. He's late. For a very, very important date," Alice said, her voice indignant and she tossed her cornsilk hair across to the other side of her face before glaring in fury.

She shook her head, standing from the vanity and slamming a pale and slight hand to the table of the vanity, causing Guinevere to jump. Alice threw her brush down with all her might, cracking the handle off of the brush. She turned, her icy eyes so fiery that they appeared to be a storm.

"Is he here, Mother? Is he?" she snarled, her voice hard and Guinevere nodded in affirmation and she cleared her throat, attempting to draw on patience that wasn't there.

"He is here. Come downstairs and meet Ronald. I do believe he came baring gifts. You should be ready to receive them," Guinevere instructed, as she struggled not to show her fear of her dangerously unbalanced daughter.

Alice continued to stare into mirror as she nodded. Guinevere watched as she picked up the broken brush and continued to brush her hair, as if Guinevere had not come into her room and told her that she had a visitor. The young blonde woman hummed a strange tune as Guinevere trotted out of the room.

As she descended the stairs, her head held high, she glanced at Ronald whom was fiddling with the paper covering the long gift that he wished to present to Alice. As she stepped down onto the marble floor, Ronald looked at her, wide eyes. He gave a bow and Guinevere gave a soft smile and nodded.

"She will be down soon. Will you want tea as you wait?" Guinevere asked and Ronald blinked and ran a nervous hand through his light brown hair as he prepared to nod.

"No need, Mother. I'm here."

Guinevere turned to stare at her 'demure' daughter with a raised eyebrow. The young woman gave her the sweetest smile. The young woman donned her soft blue day gown and her crinoline made her look beautiful. Cream gloves were upon her slender hands and tucked into her tight sleeves.

Ronald stared up at Guinevere's daughter, his mouth dry and he leaned forward, a flush upon his cheeks. She was a thing of beauty and she was as gentle as a dove, he waxed poetically in his mind.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Miss Liddell," he murmured, softly.

Alice smiled her public smile in response to his compliment but did not utter a thank you of any sort. She descended down the stairs, floating as if she were an angel. A wicked angel, if any sort of angel, but an angel all the same.

"Hello, Ronald. I really would like for you to call me, Alice. Alice…Alice is my name. My friends calls me Alice…they used to call me Alice," Alice said, her voice drifting away and her eyes glazing over as she indulged in hazy memories.

Ronald nodded slowly as if he didn't understand. Was he only just a friend to Miss Liddell? He couldn't understand why she only called him a friend. Had he not expressed his affection for her appropriately? Most women would have understood but Miss Liddell…Alice was different…

"Alice. Then, I shall call you Alice as you prefer. Would you like to step out into the garden?" he asked her, confident in what was about to occur and her subsequent answer.

She nodded and smiled her dazzling and wide smile. He couldn't help but notice how eyes glittered with something odd and her smile grew more strain as the odd glittered grew bigger and bigger. Ronald glanced at Mrs. Liddell nervously.

"Oh yes! Outside! I haven't been outside in ages! Mother, go get us some tea, please. Oh, outside!" Alice crowed, happily and she almost skipped to Ronald, barely containing her excitement and she latched onto his arm, her blue eyes wide.

Ronald began leading her out back by way of a corridor. She looked at him, oddly for a moment as they came to the back door and Ronald shuddered with anticipation. The gift he had for Alice was back there and she would adore it, he knew. Her sisters told him of how much she loved sitting in front of the looking glass, brushing her beautiful hair.

"Now Ronald, I love riddles. So much! Have I ever told you a riddle? Do you know any riddles?" Alice asked and Ronald looked down at her, an indulgent smile on his face as he thought how to answer her question.

Should he be honest or make up a riddle?

"No, Alice, you've never told me a riddle. I don't know any riddles…at least, not any good ones," Ronald amended, telling both the truth and…not-so-much-the truth but it was worth it because as they entered the garden, Alice's smile grew as blinding as the sun.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. An old…friend of mine spoke in riddles. It was the most curious thing I've ever heard of. One of my favorites: what does a raven and a desk have in common?" Alice asked.

Ronald shrugged and oddly enough, he was intrigued by the answer, just to see Alice smile like that again. Goodness, she was absolutely beautiful when she smiled. Her teeth glittered and her eyes sparkled. And like everyone else, he chose to ignore her insanity and substituted it with eccentricity.

"I have no idea. What do they have in common?" Ronald asked.

Alice giggled madly.

"I have no clue! He didn't know either. God, I miss him. You wouldn't have liked him, though," Alice said, as they walked towards the center of the garden, near the fountain where Ronald's gift would be found.

Ronald stopped, abruptly. He looked over at Alice as she continued walking for a few moments before she spun around, eyes wide. She could be so melodramatic at times.

"And why ever not?" demanded Ronald.

Alice's bright expression grew serious and her eyebrows knitted together into a sad little frown. She sighed and tossed her head back and forth for a moment, her blonde hair flying like the mane of a horse. A spirited mare that could not be broken.

"He was wonderfully mad," Alice said, her lips curled into a sad smile, "I met him when I had disappeared when I was younger. He's older than me but not by much. We had a mad tea party with his friend March and Mouse. They were all wonderful to me even though at first…they were annoying. Because I wasn't mad. But now, I miss them so…especially, him."

Ronald felt a flash of jealousy run through his body and he swallowed and pulled Alice towards the fountain. Alice's eyes stayed like ice as she immersed herself in her memories. Fading memories…that grew greyer every moment of every day.

Ronald looked at her with utter determination and swallowed, looking at her with narrowed eyes.

"Alice…I wanted to ask you something. Something…important. But first, Alice, I love you. I don't see you as a friend. Please do me the honor of being my wife. Accept this gift of a looking glass as my first gift to my wife," said Ronald, driving on despite the many times that he faltered in his short speech and he looked down at Alice, gesturing towards the large mirror, wrapped in brown paper.

He waited for the atypical squeal of excitement and the shriek of 'yes' but it did not come. Alice simply watched him, rocking back and forth from her heels to the balls of her feet. She looked mildly distracted, as if something important had taken her attention off of him. Ronald wasn't even sure if she had heard him.

Her position was stiff and her shoulders, thrown back and she looked up at the blue sky, smiling at the puffy white clouds. The odd smile on her face made the eccentricity in her eyes sharper and now…even now, Ronald couldn't deny what was there.

Alice Liddell turned towards the looking glass and with one yank, ripped away the brown paper, revealing the crystalline glass and the gold frame. Imprinted on top was a tea set, something that Ronald had looked for. Alice absolutely adored tea. He now knew why and felt some regret for encouraging her attachment to another man. She folded her hands together and looked at him, her eyes sharp and strange. Her mad smile widened.

"I do not think I can do that."

"Why not? Why can't you marry me?" Ronald asked, his voice breaking, showing how desperate he was for answer from her.

"Ronald…you believe in what is there. And I…I believe in what is not. What there is, there isn't for me. And I am not from where nor there, but anywhere but here. Just like the man who made this looking glass," Alice said and her voice sounded regretful even if her face was anything but and Ronald frowned.

"He was…he said he crossed an ocean to get here but how do you…how do you know?" Ronald asked, sharply and Alice tilted her head and pressed a pale hand against his tanned cheek and sighed.

"Oh, Ronald. He crossed an ocean. An Ocean of Tears to get to me."

"And who was this man?" Ronald demanded, his eyes flashing as he thought back to the man whose face was concealed by the wide brim of his top hat and Alice smiled, sweetly.

"My Hatter. He was my Hatter and he was always be my Hatter. For he is not here nor where but he is there and I shall find him for he will be where he says he'll be. Perhaps, he will have for me, some tea," Alice said, carefully and Ronald's eyes widened in alarm as she caressed the surface of the looking glass, plunging her hand through, and it disappearing.

His mouth fell open and then closed, making him look akin to a fish. Alice gave a soft smile before looking back at Ronald. She tilted her head and gave a great sigh, shaking her head.

"When I was 7, I went down the rabbit hole. When I am 17, I go through the looking glass. Goodbye, Ronald and thank you…for everything," Alice murmured and she moved through the looking glass, completely just as Ronald lunged forward to stop her and he cringed as she disappeared.

He touched the surface of the looking glass and his eyes widened as a glowing blue spade appeared on the surface. It was ornate and elegant and glowed more intensely the longer he touched the mirror. And suddenly, it flashed and the glass shattered under his hands, pulling and piercing his skin. Blood welled up onto his hand but he did not care.

He could only stare and remember that Alice had been right there.

:::

**A/N: **This is the re-write to Mad As A Hatter. I hope you like it. I do.


End file.
